Did Paul Revere have ADHD??

I just read a delightful (children's) book called, "And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?" by Jean Fritz. It recounts, among other things, his famous ride to warn that the Redcoats were coming. As I read about him, I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he had ADHD. The story includes many little known facts about him, as well as his famous journey. He loved adventure, and trying new things. He started out as a silversmith, but branched out in many areas, including making false teeth! He was known for being in a rush, and for his sloppy writing. He also had a page in his day book just for doodling. After the Boston Tea Party, everyone else went home to bed. Not, Paul. He hopped on his horse and took off for New York and Philadelphia to spread the news. Reading the details of his most famous journey really clinched the diagnosis for me. He was in such a rush he left the door open, and his dog got out. Well, that turned out to be a good thing. He forgot his spurs!! He sent the dog home with a note for his wife. The dog returned with his spurs tied around his neck. He also forgot to bring a cloth to wrap around the oars as they rowed past a British warship. Luckily they were able to get some cloth from a friend nearby. Once across the Charles River, he hopped on a waiting horse, and was off to warn the colonists in Concord and Lexington. He was actually captured by the British at one point, after warning the colonists. They ended up taking his horse, and letting him go. So off he went on foot! Thanks to his endless energy, he was able to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock in time for them to escape from Lexington. Hyperactivity is not always a bad thing! After the war, Paul again became a man of all trades. In addition to silversmithing, he made church bells, and learned how to roll sheet copper. He also wrote of his big ride, in his trademark sloppy writing. After reading about this famous American patriot, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he lived in the days of modern medicine. Would some well meaning person have tried to fix him, slow him down, get him focused??? Perhaps the British would have succeeded in their surprise attack, and captured the colonist's stockpile of arms... perhaps John Hancock and Samuel Adams would have been captured....perhaps we'd all be speaking with British accents right now. Maybe ADHD isn't such a bad thing after all.

10 things I love about God

1. He loved me first. And He continues to love me, regardless of how unlovable I can be.
2. Even when things seem random and out of control, I can trust Him. He's got it all under control.
3. He gives me peace in my heart, when it doesn't make sense to have peace.
4. He puts joy in my heart, regardless of my circumstances.
5. He has put love in my heart for the people I personally don't find very lovable.
6. His ways are always better than my ways.
7. He forgives me, although I don't deserve His forgiveness and disappoint Him daily.
8. He shows me the difference between what I want to do for Him, and what He wants to do through me.
9. He is my hiding place, my counselor, my all in all.
10. He's shown me who I really am- I am His, a daughter of the King...a real life princess.

My brave little boy

Yesterday, Alex had to take a trip to the OR at the local children's hospital. This was his fourth surgery, at the ripe, old age of 7! It was nothing major, he just had to have tubes removed from his ears. (Putting them in, and losing his adenoids was surgery number 2.) All of his surgeries have been minor, but still not something he looked forward to. Having experience with general anesthesia, he knew what to expect, and he knew he didn't want to do it. He asked a few times why we couldn't just leave the tubes in, he didn't mind them at all. But they were not coming out on their own, and causing all sorts of irritation. They had to go. I promised he would be spoiled rotten that day, but that didn't seem to change his apprehension. The spoiling started the night before. He couldn't sleep, so he was treated to a very long back rub, until he drifted off. He was quite the trooper in the morning. He got up and dressed without complaint. He didn't even mind not eating or drinking, he knew the drill by now. He wasn't so happy that the girls were dropped off at Uncle Joe's house. (He has 3 chihuahuas...the girls were thrilled with the arrangement!) But still he didn't complain. I could see his nervousness increase as we waited to get called in for the pre-op procedures. Still, no complaints. Once he was "dressed" we went into another pre-op room that had a PS2. That was cool... until the anesthesiologist showed up. He knew the good times were coming to an end. After a few minutes of talking, including my husband asking how long he had been on duty, it was time to head to the OR. Alex was so brave! He quietly chose the yellow Hummer power wheels to drive to the OR. He almost took out a few nurses in the hall, but did a nice job parking. We walked into the OR together, and he went right to the table, climbed right up, and laid down. I sat next to him and held his hand. I could see he was trying not to cry, he was being so brave! I place my hand on his chest, and I could feel his heart beating a mile a minute. I felt so sorry for him, yet so thankful that I could be there with him. They placed the mask on his face, and the Doctor told a few lame jokes. He even got a little smile out of Alex! As I talked to him,his little eyelids fluttered shut. "He can't hear you anymore." I was told. I kissed his cheek, and gave him three squeezes on the arm, our secret "I love you". Then I was escorted out of the room. Even with a minor procedure, I can't tell you how strange it feels to leave your unconscious child on an operating table. I did a good job sucking it up, and I didn't even cry this time! The surgery was quick, and went well. We were called into the recovery room a few minutes before he woke up. He was little confused. One minute mommy's standing over him in the OR, the next minute mommy and daddy were standing over him in a different room. After the initial confusion, he came out of the anesthesia better than in the past. He was very thirsty, and ate a popsicle, and some apple juice. I knew we'd be seeing them again..and we did on the car ride home. Some things never change. He's feeling fine today, and we've told him how proud we are of him. He has so much courage. He's learned the hard way that being brave doesn't mean you're not scared. It's doing what you have to do, even though you're scared out of your mind.

My meme: 4 things

I've been tagged by Stephanie to reveal some exciting facts about myself. It's called a "meme". Prepare to be spellbound.

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Office work- Registrar's Office at BU
2. Chambermaid on Block Island
3. Daycare worker during summers at college- When I decided my future kids wouldn't be going to one.
4. Special Education Teacher in public school. - When I decided my future children would be homeschooled.

4 Movies Watched Over and Over:
1. Apollo 13- that's the only movie I've watched over and over again.

4 Places I've Lived:
1. Warwick, RI
2. Boston, Ma
3. Block Island, RI
4. An undisclosed location in RI. (in case you're a psycho, stalker type)

4 TV Shows I Watch:
1. Lost
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Big Brother
4. Flip That House

4 Places I've Been:
1. Jamaica
2. Aruba
3. Bermuda
4. Wyoming

4 People who e-mail Me Regularly:
1. Christine
2. Myra
3. Betty
4. Mom and Dad

4 Favorite Things to Eat:
1. Snickers, of course.
2. Good Chinese food.
3. Ice Cream
4. Galumkis

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
1. On the balcony of a cruise ship, alone, reading a book. The Mediterranean would be nice.
2. At Disney
3. At the beach. Any beach will do, as long as it's 80 degrees.
4. In my bed reading a book.

4 Things I Look Forward to This Year:
1. Turning 40! (trying to have a positive attitude)
2. Obsessing about next year's curriculum.
3. Olivia (hopefully) finishing up with speech therapy.
4. I'm sure we'll have a family vacation at some point.

Am I the only one who does this?

Today I was pumping gas in the cold. (Brrrrrrrr) After I had finished, I tapped the nozzle to get out any gas still hanging on the edges. My gas pumping ritual sometimes involves some lifting of the hose along with the tapping. I never thought this was a weird thing to do, until today. A fellow pumping gas nearby looked at me like I was out of my mind. He actually shook his head at me!!! Just for the record: I'm frugal, not cheap. And I was only trying to get all the gas I paid for. So what if it was only 3 drops. It was my three drops, and I was taking them home with me, thank you very much. I always thought this was a pretty normal thing to do, but it's clear my pump-mate didn't think so. Am I a crazed, gas miser, or do other people do this?

Trip to the Dentist..Urrggg!

Today my five year old had a dentist appointment. I've come to dread these. Not because of my daughter's behavior. She's a model patient. It wasn't the behavior of my other two children that I dreaded either. No, it was the behavior of the dental hygienist that I find so disturbing. I take the kids to a pediatric practice with several dentists, and many hygienists. I LOVE the dentist we see. I'm not so fond of the hygienists, however. It starts with the questioning when they call your name. "She can't come by herself?" they ask. They always seem so perturbed that I accompany my children into the room. I really don't get this. They are children, of course they want Mommy there. And by the way, Mommy wants to be there. Especially since they seem to not want the parents around. When Livvy climbed into the chair, the hygienist questioned her. "What grade are you in?"
"Kindergarten," Olivia replied.
"Well, does your mommy stay with you all day at school?" the hygienist asked. I couldn't help but giggle to myself.
Olivia looked at her and replied, "Well, actually, I'm homeschooled." Way to go, Livvy!
"Oh." said the hygienist, clearly disappointed that her attempt at belittling my child had failed.
Olivia had the a "spot" on a molar they were watching from her last visit. I mentioned it to her. Now I'm used to the scrutiny of the pediatric hygienists. They like to talk to you like you're an idiot, and question you about your child's eating habits. Usually, I find this mildly annoying, and somewhat judgemental. In this case, I'm assuming because of her cavity, the questioning was in complete overdrive. I mentioned when she first started, that Olivia had inherited her Dad's soft teeth. She disregarded me, because of course I'm just the mommy, what do I know?
"Does she eat a lot of chewy snacks?" asked the hygienist.
"No" I replied.
"She doesn't eat fruit roll-ups?" she said incredulously.
Hmmm...didn't we just cover this, I was thinking. But I just said, "No, I don't buy them."
She continued her quest to find fault with my parenting, questioning me about every harmful food known to man.
Then came my favorite part. When they put the pink stuff on their teeth, so they can pass judgment on your brushing technique. The hygienist seemed gravely disappointed when there was no major red staining. Score one for Mommy's brushing!
"Well, does she floss?"
"I floss her teeth for her." I replied.
"That's good, she's too small to do it herself." (Thanks for the pointer, I wasn't doing because I enjoy flossing people's teeth!)
Then I was interrogated about Olivia's drinking habits. The horror! I let my child drink OJ with calcium! Apparently I'm a very neglectful parent. You would have thought I said I gave her battery acid! I commented that I was just following my pediatrician's recommendation. Olivia hates milk. Which the hygienist found shocking. Then she asked, in a very disapproving tone, "Well, does she walk around all day with a sippy cup?"
"No, she's five, not two." I stated, in my "you're really starting to annoy me" voice.
She seemed taken aback by my tone. "I'm just trying to figure out why she has a cavity."
She took it down a notch, but continued questioning me and Olivia about her eating and dental hygiene habits. Finally she came to a stunning conclusion. Perhaps it was just genetics, and Olivia inherited soft teeth. "Some people are just more cavity prone than others."
Hmmmm...where have I heard that theory before?

Ever get that scary feeling?

I headed out tonight on a late night ice cream run. It was my first chocolate indulgence of the new year. I figured 3 weeks was long enough, and I deserved a little snack. I was heading to a convenience store on a local two lane road. The speed limit is 40, but most people drive at least 50. Out of the blue, I had a scary feeling, like what would happen if someone hit black ice and hit me? Weird thought. I instictively slowed down. I was just getting to the top of a hill when I saw the first headlights I'd seen since I left my house. Two sets of them actually, and one of them was in my lane! And he was coming at me fast! I hit the brakes and jerked to the right, expecting a big jolt any second. The next thing I know, I realized I was still alive, and the car somehow did not hit me. I'm really not sure how that could have happened, but it did. Thank you, Jesus!

Confessions of a CF Husband: A Love Story

For several days, I've been following this incredible story. I found this brother in Christ's blog through a posting on a homeschool chat site. I've since become addicted, and I don't think an hour has gone by since that I haven't lifted this family up in prayer. It is truly the most amazing love story I've ever heard. A love story first for the Lord, a love for each other, and now a love for their tiny little girl, Gwyneth Rose. The CF husband is Nathan. The love of his life, next to the Lord, is his beautiful wife Tricia. Tricia has CF, cystic fibrosis. She was awaiting a double lung transplant when they discovered little Gwyneth Rose was on the way. As you can imagine, this was a very high risk pregnancy. A few days after Christmas Tricia was admitted to the hospital for treatment for her CF. They were hoping it would be a brief visit. Unfortunately Tricia's condition declined, and they had to make the difficult decision to deliver the baby by C-section on Jan. 8. I believe she was 25 weeks, at the time. Gwyneth was 1lb. 6 oz. at birth. She truly is a miracle child. Tricia is quite ill, on a vent, unable to breath on her own. But the Lord is answering the prayers of thousands around the globe. Both are making progress! Please pray for this incredible family. The baby is amazing, as you'll see from the pictures on his blog. Nathan has done a tremendous job of sharing who Tricia is, an amazing woman. She has a spark in her eye, that just makes you want to be her friend! And Nathan, what a man! His love for his wife and child are overwhelming. I really can't do justice with words. Please pray for his strengthening through this trial. They have a long road ahead. Pray Tricia will continue to improve, and be strong enough to be put back on the transplant list. Pray for continued progress for little Gwyneth Rose. And pray for those who are finding out about a God who loves through the astonishing witness of this family. Here's the blog. Be prepared to become emotionally involved! And pray, pray, pray!

Do I look like Tim LaHaye?

As I may have mentioned, I teach Sunday School to the younger teens at my church. We were just completing a very teacher-friendly curriculum, when I asked the students what they would like to study next. The overwhelming response was: "Revelation." In the words of one of the boys, "Every year we ask for Revelation, and we always end up back in Genesis." I could see his point. And I do love a challenge. I looked high and low for an appropriate youth study on Revelation. I was very excited when I found what looked like a great study. I ordered it, and anxiously awaited its arrival. When it came, I was even more excited. It had great age- appropriate activities, with plenty of life application. One problem: Each session has questions for the kids to answer in small groups relating to the chapter. But there is no answer key!! Not even a suggestion, as to how to steer the conversation. Are you kidding me? Do I look like Tim LaHaye? (No offence to Mr. LaHaye- but I'm hoping I don't look like an eighty year old man!) As I'm sure you're aware, teens ask questions, and lots of them. Nothing like the questions that came my way when I taught the toddler class. The only thing they ever asked was,"More juice?" and "Mama?" Teens ask real questions. And although I'm not afraid to say, "I don't know, I'll look into it.", I'm sure they don't want that to be the bulk of the discussion every week. So, needless to say, I'll be studying Revelation right along with them. Hopefully my Pastor doesn't get too sick of my questions. But in the end I know it will be a blessing to me. In the words of God, Himself:

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophesy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Rev. 1:3

At least I know what that verse means.

Duh...

As I've mentioned in previous posts, by youngest daughter receives speech therapy at the local university. She has made wonderful progress! I was getting frustrated this past semester, however, as her progress seemed to stall. She had been working on the vocalic /r/ sound. (like in four and car). She had made such great progress with all the other sounds she worked on, I was afraid we were hitting a wall in her speech. I initially thought it may have been that the other sounds were more visible and easier to teach. You can show a child how to place their tongue to make the /l/ sound, for example. The vocalic /r/ was more difficult to "see". When reading over her most recent progress report, it finally hit me. It said she tended to vowelize this sound. Wait a minute! Doesn't everyone in Rhode Island vowelize the vocalic /r/? How can we expect her to correctly say "car", when all she's ever heard is "cah". Of course she vowelizes this sound! I feel so much better! When she starts up again in a few weeks, I'm going to suggest we just move on. After all, I don't want her to be the only freak in the state that pronounces her Rs!